Gessius Florus

Gessius Florus was the Roman Procurator of Iudaea from 64 to 66 AD, succeeding Lucceius Albinus and preceding Marcus Antonius Julianus.

Biography
Gessius Florus was born in Clazomenae, Roman Asia, Roman Empire, and his wife's friendship with Nero's wife Poppaea Sabina led to Emperor Nero appointing Gessius Florus as Procurator of Iudaea in 64 AD. Upon taking office in Caesarea Maritima, he became unpopular among the Jews for favoring the Greek population, and the Greeks took advantage of this injustice to profane a Caesarea synagogue by sacrificing birds in front of it; when a group of Jews attempted to petition him to hear their case, Florus had the petitioners imprisoned. He also had seventeen talents removed from the treasury of the Second Temple in Jerusalem to compenstae for unpaid taxes, leading to bold Jewish youths mocking him by passing around a basket to collect money as if Florus was poor. Florus was infuriated, and he had 6,000 Jews massacred and several town leaders whipped and crucified (despite being Roman citizens), leading to the bloody Jerusalem riots of 66. After the First Jewish-Roman War broke out, Marcus Antonius Julianus became the new Procurator.